Annie
I wake up sweating.
District 4 is always hot and very humid, but I love it. Every day, I go and get shells from the beach by our house, and make them into jewelry. But today is different.
"Cora! Cora, wake up!" I say, shaking my older sister. "We're going to be late to the reaping!"
She wakes, sitting straight up; Coral, or Cora, is always all or nothing about everything. She's very beautiful, with red wavy hair, not like mine, which is not nearly as shiny and manageable. Her eyes, instead of being my aqua green are a warm brown that attracts boys like honey-drawn flies. She is very responsible, taking up all the things mom used to do before she died. She's getting married next month. We're very happy for her, and so is she. She's fanatic about her wedding, picking out dresses and making lists. Her fiancé's name is Spencer, and he's very nice, a bit awkward, and rich.
I hear some yelling coming from downstairs. I recognize it as Arnav. He and Dad come up the stairs and Arnav is crying.
"But what if Annie gets picked?!" Arnav yells as tears flow from his rosy cheeks. I am the only member of my family eligible for the Hunger Games, with Arnav at 7 and Cora at 21. I'm 17.
Arnav has always been worried that I might get picked for the Games. My family and I always tell him it's very unlikely, but as we leave the house, I start getting worried, too.
We arrive at the Town Square, in front of the Justice Building. I can see Garcia, the District 4 escort and the other victors: Mags, a very nice-looking woman around 80, with white curly long hair and a kind smile, Gabriela, a dark-haired twenty-three year-old with tan skin who won using a smart strategy that Mags used: putting poisonous berries in parachutes so tributes would eat them, Triton, a thirty year-old victor with startling sky blue eyes and blonde hair that won using a sword, and, of course, the famous Finnick Odair. He has beautiful golden hair and eyes of the same green as the ocean. He is muscular, but not intimidating, and extremely sexy. Coral had been obsessed with him from when she was 10 to 17. He just seems arrogant and selfish to me.
Garcia clears her voice on the microphone and I get more nervous. I tell myself that's crazy, that the odds are in my favor.
"Welcome, welcome. To the 70th annual Hunger Games, where we choose, one fortunate man and woman, to compete in this luxury event! Now we will choose our two tributes. As usual: ladies first!" She walks over to the glass urn, sashaying with her blue dress. She picks up a paper and clears her throat. "Annie Cresta!"
Everyone turns to me, but I don't see them. My feet move before I can register the fact that I am going to die. Tears are flowing down my face and I want to crawl in a hole and die. I get up on the stage, next to Garcia and look around me, but I can't register any sound.
Finnick Odair doesn't look as arrogant now, only sad and regretful, Mags looks like it, too. The other victors look fine with my situation.
I look at the ocean one more time, where I grew up; my home. Then I feel a hand on my back, pushing me and whoever is the other tribute into the Justice Building.
Inside, I am out into a room where my family is supposed to meet me. They have three minutes to say goodbye.
Cora comes in to first, her eyes dry. Coral never cries, not ever.
"Annie, be brave, be strong. Listen Annie! Try to win!" Cora says, shaking me. She gives me a hug that lasts the remaining two minutes. Then the door opens and the Peacekeepers take her away.
Arnav crashes into me, almost knocking me off my chair, giving me a big hug. Arnav has always been the sweetest of his age. He loves playing with mini-figures, unlike the other boys, who play that they are in the Hunger Games. He wants to be a lifeguard when he grows up so he can rescue any stray whales or fish. Cora says he's sort of like me. She thinks I am too soft, too nice, for a seventeen-year old girl. I think so too, but I wouldn't change me, except to maybe take away my freckles.
Father hugs me after Arnav, telling me to be strong, and to try to win.
As soon as Father leaves, I start to cry again. I don't wanted to be in these games, I want to be the girl that collects seashells and cries over lost kittens and wouldn't hurt a fly.
The Peacekeepers enter the room and escort me to the train. I'm too weak to resist. My knees feel weak and it's hard to walk, but I try for Cora's sake.
"You will be going to dinner now." A Peacekeeper tells me.
"There, you will meet your mentors and discuss the Games." Another one adds.
They lead me through a beautiful hall. It has chandeliers and tables of types of wood I'd never seen before. I walk into a dining pavilion.
In the middle of the room, there is a huge table full of food. I recognized many types of fish, but most of the other foods were unknown to me.
On one chair sits old Mags. She seemed to be talking to Finnick, but when I enter she looks at me and smiles. She pats a chair next to her, inviting me to sit. I go and sit in the chair.
In front of me sits Finnick Odair. He looks even more handsome close-up. Not that I care. He is probably as arrogant close-up as he is from far away.
Next to him sits a boy I don't know. He is very big and intimidating, but not a volunteer.
"Well, now that we're all here, I suppose we can talk a little, if you want. Something I like to do with tributes is have them introduce themselves, telling us about them. Of course, Finnick and I will do the same." Mags says. I notice she has a kind voice and acts very motherly. "If you want, I'll start." She adds. I feel relieved because I'm sometimes a little shy, especially now that we were heading toward certain death. "Well, I'm Mags Cohen. I won the 12th Hunger Games. I like making fishhooks and tying knots. I will be mentoring Tyson."
"But I was supposed to mentor him." Finnick Odair whispers. Not so confident now, are you? I think, then immediately correct myself. That was very mean to think. Mags smiles mischievously and says:
"There's been a change of plans."
"Well, anyway, Tyson, your turn." Finnick says.
"Um… I'm Tyson Delmar. I'm eighteen and I like fishing and wrestling." The other tribute says.
"Well, I'm Finnick Odair, twenty. I won the 65 Hunger Games, but of course you already know about me. What about you, beautiful?" He says to me, winking. Cora would faint, even four years after her obsession ended. I feel my cheeks getting hot, though.
"I'm Annie Cresta. I'm seventeen years old. I like… well, making seashell jewelry and tying knots." To my surprise, Finnick smiles and for once, it looks honest.
I try my food. It is better than anything I've ever tasted. It fills my mouth with different flavors, most of which are completely foreign.
Even though it is delicious, I have to try hard to keep it down. Every time I think about the Games, it rises up in my throat. Mags and Finnick start talking, but I am not in the mood for it. I stand up and walk to what the Peacekeepers told me was my room. In the safety of the room, I start to cry.
I can't kill anyone. I can't do it. I can't watch anyone die in front of me. I would rather die myself. The only reason I try to win is that Cora wants me to, and if I do, I'll see Arnav and Father again.
The door opens and Finnick comes in, lacking his usual flair.
"Hey Annie. Are you ok?" I shake my head. No I'm not ok! Why would I?! Oh wait, I forgot, you had fun killing people! He comes into the room, even though I don't want him to. He sits down beside me on the bed, looking a bit rueful. "Did you know your little brother came up to me in the Justice Building? He told me that if I didn't teach you how to fight with a trident, he'd kick me." I smile against my will, thinking about the adorable and sweet little boy that had the misfortune to be my brother.
He thought that if you could fight with a trident, it would be easy to win the Hunger Games ever since he saw Finnick win.
"He's the best little brother a girl could hope for. And my older sister Cora, too. She's getting married in a month. And now…" I started crying again. "…now I will never go."
"Annie, it's ok to be afraid. I was afraid in my first Games." I stop crying, surprised. Finnick Odair had smiled when his name had been called. "I cried for days in the train, scared that I would die. That I would never see my family again." His eyes have a faraway look, as if he was re-living the moments before his Games. "But enough about me, let's talk about you." He says, smiling, back in the present. I had never expected to hear Finnick Odair say 'enough about me, let's talk about you'.
"Well, where do I start? Um… my mother died when I was ten. She was a lot like Coral. Now, I live with my Father, Coral, and Arnav. Father is a strict man, but he knows the right times to show compassion and kindness. Coral, or Cora as I like to call her, is very responsible. She's very beautiful, too. She basically took up everything that Mom used to do. She raised me and Arnav since Father is always at work. Arnav is the sweetest little boy ever. He takes care of everyone and never says anything negative. He is not like the other boys, who like playing rough games. He's calm. Cora says I'm too soft, though. She calls me Shell as a nickname, because I like to collect them and I'm as easy to break. And, Finnick, I can't kill anyone." The tears are back in my eyes and I try to wipe them away quickly.
"Believe me, Annie, as much as I hate it; that will change when you're in the Games."